


CJ

by CaseyStar



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alpha Steve McGarrett, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, C-Section, Established Relationship, Kid Fic, M/M, Married Couple, Mpreg, Omega Danny "Danno" Williams, caesarean section, nothing graphic, talk of birth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:33:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25938973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaseyStar/pseuds/CaseyStar
Summary: The McGarrett-Williams family is about to be complete with Steve and Danny meeting their son and Grace meeting her brotherBased off a picture from 1x23 where Steve looked at Danny with such open fondness I had to turn the sarin incident happy. Picture included at end of fic
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Comments: 18
Kudos: 223





	CJ

Drugs. 

Danny demanded every drug in the land from the moment the first contraction had hit in the middle of the Cowboys/Redskins game. Typical behaviour of the son of a Redskin’s fan when his team was losing, if Danny was any judge. The McGarrett’s were always sore losers, but that didn’t mean they got to take it out on _his_ insides!

The sadists at the hospital, however, made him wait until he was in more active labour, no matter how he ranted, raved, and finally threatened to sic Steve, and his fifty-seven ways of silently killing the enemy with his pinky, on them. That pronouncement was largely met with pitying glances and the occasional condescending pat on the hand, neither of which he’d appreciated but Steve had borne the brunt of the Omega’s anger with as much grace as usual.

Which boiled down to him being told to suck it up which had only kicked off another round of bickering which, at very least, distracted Danny from the worst of the pain, as did yelling at the screen at the remains of a truly shitty game of football. By the time the doctors finally consented to the epidural, he didn’t even wince at the sight of the enormous spinal needle. Instead he welcomed the nurse bearing it like she carried the crown jewels, even going so far as to offer to have her child, much to everyone’s amusement. 

Grace had come screaming into the world the old fashioned way. A mistake, if Danny was any judge now he’d experienced the alternative, especially as his son had placed in the 99th percentile for the entire pregnancy and was predicted to be over 9 pounds at Danny’s last appointment, which had had his eyes, and _legs_ , crossing at the thought of labour. Now, Danny spent a merry ten minutes pinching and prodding various parts of his anatomy in fascination at the numbness.

An hour later, that fascination morphed into annoyance that labour wasn’t progressing. Grace had been a swift delivery and given who the baby’s other father was, Danny had expected his son’s arrival to be even faster.

Instead, demonstrating the stubborn bullheadedness of both his parents, the baby resolutely refused to budge until finally the doctors announced they had concerns about cycling d-cels and Danny was rushed to theatre, Steve unable to go with him as he was diverted into another room to be appropriately dressed.

The next thirty minutes were the most stressful of Steve’s life. Danny wasn’t a large man but he always seemed to take up so much more space than he should; he had a presence, forceful and commanding, not to mention he was loud as hell. But when the nurses finally deemed Steve ready and dressed like a Smurf to keep everything sterile and he’d been unleased upon the theatre, seeing Danny on that table, his lower half swathed in surgical shields, feeling like he’d somehow failed his child…he’d never seen his love look so small. It was unnatural, and something in his chest clenched tight at the sight and Steve practically mowed a nurse down in his haste to get to his husband’s side. 

Danny might not have been able to feel anything below the waist, but there was nothing wrong with his grip, his hand crushing Steve’s when he reached his head as he loudly forbade the SEAL from going south of the border.

“You don’t wanna see my pancreas, babe. _I_ don’t want you to see it.” Danny’s voice was tremulous but Steve took his words for what they were – a demand for a distraction. While Danny couldn’t feel what the medical team was doing, he could feel them tugging vital internal organs around, fleeting pressure…it all reminded him that he was wide awake while someone was carrying out major surgery, and if anything was likely to cause his anxiety to skyrocket, surgery while wide awake was up there.

“I don’t think your pancreas is where you think it is, Danno.”

“What do you know? Your gigantor of a son has been using me as a hotel for the last nine months. My lungs aren’t even where they should be. My point, _Steven_ , is that you don’t wanna see me fileted open like I stepped on a landmine.”

Steve, who had actually seen the remains of people, of _friends,_ who had done just that, couldn’t help but agree.

“Even if he were coming out naturally, you wouldn’t be heading to Tijuana.”

“It’s the miracle of life!” Steve argued, gesturing in the direction of the blue drape that had been hung vertically across Danny’s midsection to block the view of the surgical field. “You’d deny me that?”

“Damn right I would. There’s a reason videoes of childbirth is used to warn teenagers in health class off ever having sex. I saw you flinch at birth class, don’t think I didn’t.” Steve didn’t even bother to deny it because how the hell did anyone do _that?_

“Miracle of live my ass; it’s a watermelon being pushed out of a portion of my anatomy designed to be the size of a lemon that should only be treated nicely!” Danny ignored the sniggers coming from around his navel, which he thought was pretty magnanimous of him, really, given the circumstances. 

“Speaking of, that I’m getting sliced and diced means I get to pick the first name.”

Steve’s head snapped around from glowering at the drape as though it had personally wronged him so fast Danny was surprised he didn’t hear a crack. Steve’s brows were pulled low over his eyes, a deep furrow between them, mouth pulled into a tight line and Danny smirked in response.

Aneurysm face. Perfect.

“How is that fair?” Steve’s voice had risen an octave in indignation, sounding more like Grace being denied dessert than a highly decorated military officer. “According to you, pregnancy already gave you the pick of the middle name.”

“And so it does, but this,” Danny jerked his chin in the direction of his midsection, “this gives me the first name.”

“How is that fair?” Steve repeated.

“Fair? Fair? You wanna talk about fair? I’ve gained thirty-five pounds! My bladder is the size of a walnut! I’m exhausted but I can’t sleep at night because your son thinks that he’s in Cirque de Freaking Soleil, and a human being is being _cut out of my body._ ”

This time the laughter from the medical team wasn’t even remotely held back and Steve turned Aneurysm Face on them instead. It had about as much sway over them as it did Danny.

“It’s getting McGarrett as a surname, what more do you want?”

“A say in my child’s name?”

“How about I tell you the name I like and you can tell me everything that’s wrong with it?”

“I will prepare a Powerpoint presentation.”

“With Chin’s help, maybe,” Danny scoffed. Steve sneered in reply; his computer skills far outstripped those of his husband and Danny knew it. The man couldn’t even send an email from his phone, let alone use the computer table with any level of expertise. Steve managed it with _flair_ , if he did say so himself. 

“Let’s hear it then.”

“Charles John Williams-McGarrett.”

Danny smiled as Steve’s breath caught in his throat.

“John?” His voice cracked on his father’s name.

“He is how we met, after all.”

“You don’t-”

“He was a good man. Misguided, maybe, but a good man. He tried his best, and hey, you have times of being a decent human being and he’s a part of why that is.”

“Times?”

“I’ve spent a good deal of energy getting you housebroken, I’m thrilled with your progress, even if it is a little slow. But Neanderthal brains-”

“Gentleman,” a soft voice broke through their distraction. “I’m about to bring your son out, if you want to maybe pay attention to that?”

“Charlie.”

“Beg pardon?”

“His name is Charlie,” Steve told the doctor, the thought of meeting his son kicking his heart rate up the way no firefight ever managed.

“C.J.,” Danny corrected.

“Do you _have_ to get the last word?”

“I don’t have to, I just do.”

“Only because you talk so much.”

“Get used to it, there’s about to be a mini-me-”

“Gentleman, that mini-me is about to make his entrance and I’m sure he’d like all eyes on him. It is his birthday after all.”

This time it was Steve’s turn to clasp Danny’s hand hard enough to hurt. He loved Grace, was utterly devoted to the little girl, would live and die for her, but he’d not been present for her birth, hadn’t heard her first reedy cry, watched her skin pink up as she drew breath for the first time, watched as her eyes opened and she began to take in the world.

There was a minute of silence as the medical team finished the final incision and Steve fairly vibrated with the desire to defy Danny, to peer over the drape, to ask what was taking so long, but a sharp tug on his arm kept him in place. In _his_ place at Danny’s side. 

“And here he is.”

Steve had been at so many deaths, been _responsible_ for so many last breaths, had felt the life drain from a body held firm in his arms. He’d never been at a first breath, the moment air rushed into new lungs and gave life. He'd heard so many final words, last gurgling cries of death but when his son was lifted above the drape and filled his lungs for the first time, letting out a sharp screech that left no doubts as to his parentage…

Tears flowed down Steve’s face, blurring his view of his perfect child, his heart outside his body, safely cradled in the hands of the doctor as he screwed up his little face and screamed about the audacity of being ripped from his perfect home. Now free to do so, his legs and arms waved weakly, stretching in all directions as CJ felt air on his skin for the first time, space and freedom.  
  
“Is he-”

“Ten fingers, and ten toes. He’s responding to the light and to sound, and clearly those lungs of his work just fine!”

“That’s my boy,” Danny stated with pride, craning his neck as much as he was able, gazing at his son. He looked different to Grace, less squished having not had to navigate the birth canal, though just as covered in goo that Danny pretended he didn’t see.

“We’re just gonna weigh him and clean him up a bit and then you can meet your boy, okay?” It was posed as a question but the next moment CJ disappeared from view, the majority of the team heading with him over to the scales and warmer. Steve didn’t even realise he’d taken a step to follow them, heart racing at not being able to see his son, until a tugging on his arm had him turning. He was still gripping Danny’s hand tight.

He couldn’t follow CJ, no matter how every instinct _screamed_ at him to do so. _Danny_ couldn’t follow so neither could Steve. CJ was in the best hands, five feet away for all it felt like five miles, but Danny? Danny was still cut open and unable to move. Steve’s place was by Danny’s side.

“He’s gonna be okay, babe. Just let them do their thing, and we’ll get him back. We’ve got the rest of our lives with him. You think they get a kid that cute every day in here? They want their five minutes.”

Despite his words, Danny’s tone sounded just as vulnerable and wanting as Steve felt. It was far worse for Danny – with the surgical field needing to remain sterile, even when CJ was returned to them, Danny would still be unable to hold him, his arms contained beneath the drapes, save the hand clasped in Steve’s. Everything Steve felt, he knew was magnified for Danny. Danny had carried and provided a safe home for their child for nine months and now he was out in a world they both knew all too well could be dangerous and cruel.

But Grace, and now little CJ, had Five-Oh at their backs.

“Commander, would you like to hold your son? Hold CJ?”

Steve looked to Danny for permission to leave his side. “Can I?”

“Yeah, you big goof, you better go get our boy.” Danny squeezed Steve’s hand one more time and then jerked his head towards where CJ waited, sending Steve off with a grin. “And don’t look at the alien autopsy going on down there.”

Danny didn’t need to warn him off, Steve only had eyes for CJ, now wrapped in a beige blanket, a little cap on his head, his dark hair peeking out all around it and laying soft across his forehead as he lay content in the nurse’s arms.

“He’s so small,” Steve whispered to himself, hesitating to take his son. What if he hurt him? What if he dropped him? What if CJ didn’t like him? What if he could sense all the horrors that Steve had done?

“Babe,” Danny’s gentle voice called from behind him. “Babe, look at me.”

Unable to disobey, Steve turned on his heel. “Pick him up. Pick up our son, come over here and show me the beautiful boy I made for us. You can’t hurt him. You _won’t_.”

On autopilot, Steve let the nurse adjust his arms and hands into the correct placement and then all nine pounds and 10 ounces of Charles John Williams-McGarrett was placed him arms and he gazed down into his son’s face for the first time.

His heart cracked open and CJ burrowed himself inside.

“Hi,” he whispered, overwhelmed. “Hi, CJ. I’m your other dad.” Gently, so softly he could barely feel it, Steve bowed forward and brushed a kiss across his son’s forehead. 

His son. He had a _son_.

Carefully, barely lifting his feet from the floor, Steve shuffled back to Danny’s side collapsing into a chair that had appeared by his husband’s head.

Steve looking up into Danny’s eyes, Steve couldn’t help but bend forward to press a kiss to his lips, firm and devoted. Exhausted, a little pale, skin slick with a sheen of stale sweat and wearing a stupid hair net that Steve wished he had a picture of, Danny was the most gorgeous thing he’d ever laid eyes on. Steve lets his head fall forward, resting their foreheads together, sharing their breath.

“Thank you,” he whispered, rubbing his nose against the length of Danny’s. “Thank you.” 

_‘For putting up with me, loving me, giving me a family, giving me a home_.’

It was Danny’s turn to tilt his head up and seek a kiss

“Well, let’s see the little guy.”

Steve cradled CJ close, twisting his body as he carefully lowered their son onto Danny’s chest while keeping him supported, CJ squirming around a little as though he could sense it was an important moment, rolling his head to the side to let Danny get a good look at him.

“Hey, buddy. I’m your Danno.” Danny could barely talk past a smile so broad his cheeks ached but he couldn’t help himself. 

“We have a son.”

“Yeah, babe, I was there.”

“He’s perfect.”

“Of course he is, I made him.”

“That you did. That you did.” Steve’s expression was almost painful for Danny to look at; the joy that seeped from every pore, the pure unadulterated happiness that shined from him…it was overwhelming.

“He has my nose.”

“Good, better than mine!” Steve gently traced the little dished nose, smiling when CJ scrunched it up in response.

“I happen to be very fond of your nose.”

“Then why have you tried to break it?”

“That was your jaw, and you had it coming. Didn’t he CJ? Didn’t your putz of a daddy have that punch coming?” CJ flailed one arm free of his blanket in what Danny considered to be clear agreement.

“That’s right, CJ, sock ‘em right in the jaw.” He carefully turned his head, eyes not leaving CJ until the last second as he looked up at Steve. “Five minutes old and he’s already smarter than you.”

“He’s gonna be the smartest boy in the world.”

They spent another five minutes as a family, Steve shifting CJ onto the pillow by Danny’s head so they could rest together skin to skin, CJ nestling his face into Danny’s, snuffling along his cheek, seemingly fascinated by the texture of his stubble if the way he waved his hand around meant anything. 

“Commander, we need to take CJ-”

Instantly Steve was on alert, cradling CJ back against his chest, curling protectively around the infant. 

“Hey, Steve, it’s okay, babe. It’s okay. They gotta take him for a little bit.” Danny was no more eager for CJ to leave his sight than his husband, but he’d been through all this before, knew the procedure. But he was also intimately familiar with parental instincts and mix those Steve’s overprotective personality and lethal skillset, and people in that room could get very hurt if they tried to take CJ from him before Steve understood why and was ready. 

“Why? Where?”

“Just to finish getting him cleaned up and get all his tests done.”

“Tests like what?”

“His heart, lungs, eyes, hips, hearing and because he’s of the male sex, we need to check his testes have descended,” Danny’s doctor took over. “It’s perfectly routine, and it’s just in case there’s something we can’t see that might require treatment.”

“Steve, it’s okay. The sooner they do the tests, the sooner they can tell us he’s perfect and the sooner we can all go home, okay?” Danny knew that in all likelihood it would be a couple of days at least until he was allowed home, but Steve didn’t need to be told that right that moment.

“It won’t hurt?”

“He probably won’t like it,” Danny’s snort interrupted the doctor, “but it won’t hurt him. He’s just not yet used to all this light and sound. We’ll get him back to you safe and sound as quickly as possible.”

“Why can’t I come with him?”

“Because having you hanging over the doctor’s is gonna stress out the staff which will stress out CJ and then it’ll take twice as long and be way worse for all involved, _including_ you babe.” Danny could tell he was getting through to Steve, his husband’s shoulders relaxing, the man sitting up straighter, no longer hunched over his child. “They’re experts, remember? You checked out everyone in this room.” Danny ignored the questioning glances and sounds of confusion coming from behind the drape. “Everyone in this room is the top of their field. You even called their High-Schools for transcripts.”

“That was you?!” A nurse popped around the drape, a look of outrage on her face, and Danny waved her away. He didn’t have the time to get into _that_ conversation again. He’d already read Steve the riot act about it. Sure, he’d looked over the background Steve had accumulated, he was putting the life of his child in the hands of this team after all, but he hadn’t been the one to completely misuse their remit to collect the information and that made it a-okay in his book.

“It’s not just CJ, Commander. It’s going to be easier for Mr Williams to-”

“Detective Williams-McGarrett,” both men corrected automatically, but Danny was relieved to see that CJ was no longer held so tightly to Steve’s chest. Crisis officially averted.

“It’s going to be easier for Detective Williams-McGarrett to finish getting closed up and up to recovery knowing CJ is getting fully taken care of and is healthy. As soon as he’s settled back in his room, we’ll bring CJ to you.”

“Then you can meet Grace, can’t you? Yes. You can meet your sister,” Steve crooned at his son, and what Danny wouldn’t have given to get his hands on a video camera right then, but he figured he had the rest of his life to watch his husband be gooey over their family. Grace was probably going to be just as bad when she met him, if the way she’d been talking for months was any indication.

“Oh, shit! What’s the time?” Danny’s head rolled to the side and found the large clock hung on the wall. “Babe, you gotta go get Grace from practice.”

“I can ask Chin, he’ll get her, he won’t mind” Steve replied, carefully shifting CJ into a one-armed hold and automatically reaching for his phone before remembering he’d had to leave it in a locker when he’d changed into scrubs.

“No, Steve. You go. She’ll freak out if one of us isn’t there. If she sees Chin she’ll think something bad has happened even if he tells her it hasn’t. Today is a good day, a _happy_ day, and I don’t want her frightened for even a moment of it.”

The doctor turned to Steve. “It’s going to take about an hour to get your husband back to his room, and I promise,” she continued, forestalling Steve’s next words, “we’ll take the very best care of them both.”

“I’m gonna call Chin and Kono on the way, they’ll wanna come by and see you. Okay?” It didn’t sit well with Steve to leave Danny when he was so vulnerable, unable to move or even defend himself. If he couldn’t be by Danny’s side himself, Chin and Kono were the next best thing.

“Tell ‘em to come by in a couple hours, give Grace some time with CJ, just us,” Danny countered in a no-nonsense tone, more than aware he’d no doubt find an armed officer guarding his door by the time he got taken back to his room but not willing to have arguing that be the hill he died on. “Now shoo. Go get our girl, I’m gonna be just fine.”

“She’s gonna be so excited.” 

“Pissed she missed out on all the action, you mean.” Grace had been counting down the days to Danny’s due date on her calendar and had, despite being told she didn’t need to be there, packed a little bag of games and books to keep herself entertained after her mother had told her that babies could take a long time to arrive. However, despite his ultimate reluctance to enter the world, CJ had managed to come a few days early.

“Yeah.” Clearly still reluctant to leave, Steve leaned down for another kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Danny’s tone was so sincere, his expression so soft and open, that Steve couldn’t help but kiss his husband again, wanting nothing more than to crawl up onto the bed beside him, wrap himself around his family and keep them safe but he had a daughter to fetch in order to make that family complete. With one last peck to Danny’s forehead, Steve turned towards the door.

“Uh, Commander?”

“Hmmm?”

“CJ?” The nurse held out her arms for the newborn that still lay within Steve’s hold.

“Oh, uh, right.” Shame-faced and reluctant, steadfastly ignoring Danny’s snorting laughter, Steve transferred CJ, cradling his son’s small skull in the palm of his hand as he kissed one sweet little fist.

“I’ll be back before you know it, ka’u keikikane.”

*

“We’ve got to be quiet, okay Gracie?”

“Because of the baby?” She looked up at Steve with wide, worried, eyes. CJ was the first baby born into the Williams family since herself and so she, for all she was excited to become a sister, didn’t have any experience around babies.

Steve knew just how she felt, and the two had spent many hours poring over books together, much to Danny’s endless entertainment. Danny firmly believed they were just gonna have to learn as they went, but Steve thrived on information, on preparation so in the end, Danny had left them to it, content to sit back and watch their ordered little worlds fall apart when they brought the baby home.

“Yeah. CJ is brand new, fresh out of the package, so he’s not used to noises like you and I are, so we don’t wanna scare him, okay?”

Steve crouched down in front of his step-daughter who, upon hearing the news, had refused Steve’s offer to stop off at home to change and so still wore her cheerleading outfit rather than the ‘ _Best Big Sister’_ shirt she’d picked out upon learning Danny was pregnant. She’d opted instead to wear it when CJ was brought home and they had a small gathering for their ohana to celebrate his arrival. 

“Having a baby is hard work, so they’re both really tired. When I left to get you from school, Danno was very tired and we don’t wanna wake them if they’re napping, okay?”

“Okay. Aloha Girl’s honor.” Grace managed a pretty decent salute and Steve gave back one of his own before dropping a kiss to her forehead.

“That’s my girl. Wanna go meet your brother?”

“Yeah.”

Standing, Steve felt Grace slip her small hand into his, clutching tight as he led her into Danny’s hospital room. True to her word, Grace stayed silent, tip-toeing as they rounded the corner and caught sight of the bed, a little bassinet parked near Danny’s head on the far side of the bed. At the sight of her father, asleep as predicted, a drip connected to one arm and a small army of machines that recorded his vitals clustered around the bed, she clenched her fingers around Steve’s.

“Papa?” She whispered as her steps faltered. She’d seen her father in hospital far too many times in her young life, but she hadn’t expected that day to look so much like the times he’d been wounded on the job; a birth was meant to be a happy time, a _good_ thing. That was what they’d told her. Why would there be so many machines? 

“Is he okay?” She stopped dead, wide-eyed as she took the scene in, barely glancing at the bassinet.

“I’m fine, Monkey!” Danny’s head rolled on the pillow so he could take in his family. Exhaustion fell away as his face creased into a smile and he opened his arms for his daughter to crawl carefully into.

“Danno!” Grace grimaced at her volume, whispering an apology as she melded herself to her father’s side. “Are you okay?” Grace turned her head to look warily at the machines that beeped and whirred.

“I’m great. You’re here, my world is perfect.”

“You’re sure?”

“Would I lie to my best girl?”

“Then what are those for?” Grace pointed at each machine in turn and Danny explained their purpose, how after surgery it was necessary for the medical staff to be able to quickly and easily determine the wellbeing of their patient and the devices enabled them to do that. After a handful of other questions, during which Danny assured her that he was fine each time, Grace seemed mollified and she turned back to her father.

“I made something for you.”

“You did?” Danny dropped a kiss onto his hair, inhaling the scene of her coconut shampoo. It was hard to imagine that once she’d been just as small as her brother, smaller even. Her tiny body had fit so perfectly between his palms and now she was this perfect angel with her own thoughts and dream and opinions.

Where had the time gone? Surely only yesterday she’d been learning to walk and now she was, to Danny’s eternally high blood-pressure, doing hand-springs and backflips.

“Hmmm-mmmm. Lemme get it.”

Carefully disentangling herself from her father’s arms, the little girl hurried over to the chair where Steve had placed her kit-bag and dug around inside the main compartment, thrusting pom-poms at Steve to hold. Glancing up at his husband, about to make some remark about how pretty he’d look as a cheerleader, Danny rolled his eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that, Steven.”

“Like what?” Steve didn’t bother schooling his expression.

“All...” Danny waved a hand at the Alpha’s face. “All stupidly fond and in love.”

“But I _am_ stupidly fond and in love.”

“Yeah, uh, of course you are, babe. I’m - I’m awesome,” Danny spluttered, feeling his cheeks heat with a mortifying blush he was fully prepared to blame on post-pregnancy hormones and poor hospital AC. Steve had improved a lot about talking about his feelings, the result of Danny’s tireless hard work and cajoling, but sometimes it still took Danny by surprise when his stoic husband so openly expressed his love verbally instead of in his actions alone. He’d never once doubted Steve’s love, his affection clear from their first case together long before they got involved, but it was still nice to hear the words every now and again.

“But you can keep _that_ look to yourself, because the last time you looked at me like that, _that_ happened.” Danny gestured towards the little bassinet where Grace, a sheet of paper in one hand, had grown bored of waiting for her father’s attention and was on her tiptoes looking down upon her new brother. Danny had to admit, he quite agreed with her fascination – he made some really good looking kids. At least, now he’d been cleaned up a little C.J. was cute as hell and zonked out like he was the one that’d had had the difficult day.

“That was _not_ the last time I looked at you like that.”

Which, Danny conceded, was true. Throughout his pregnancy Steve had been ridiculously attentive; constantly touching Danny and the bump, bringing him whatever he wanted even at 3am when even Danny didn’t know what that was beyond ‘ _that dessert thingy we had from that place a couple months back’,_ tirelessly massaging every sore muscle, and letting Danny’s every rant and hurtful word about his ever-expanding waistline and Steve’s stupid SuperSEAL SuperSperm just wash over him with a smile on his face as though he was loving every single minute.

Which he had been, the weirdo. Then again, he’d not hand to contend with nausea, killer heartburn and swelling ankles. _Asshole._

But the look on Steve’s face now…it was different. It was a man with such joy and contentment in his life that he couldn’t contain it, and more so, didn’t _want_ to. It was a man that wanted to scream his delight from the rooftops, take out a billboard and declare it for the world in letters fifty feet high, for all Hawaii didn’t have the damn things. To look upon Steve’s face was to view the definition of happiness.

“You’re leaking feelings everywhere,” Danny chastised, though his tone was unbearably fond. “The SEALS would be appalled. You’ll have your snorkel revoked.”

“Can I hold him, Danno?” Grace interrupted Steve’s response.

“Not right this second, honey.” Steve answered, stepping over to her, stroking one hand over her hair. “He’s sleeping right now and it might wake him up.”

“Mom says to never wake a sleeping baby,” Grace said it with such authority Danny was sure it was something Rachel had repeated to her often.

“Mom is right. It makes them very grumpy. _Almost_ as grumpy as Danno in the mornings.”

“I am not grumpy!”

“What are you right now?”

“Tired.” Danny yawned, wincing as the movement tugged a little at his staples, sensation beginning to return to his lower body, though he knew it was only the beginning and would only get worse in the coming hours and days.

Oh joy, oh rapture. 

“You want us to go?”

“No! You just got here. And unlike some people, that were raised by wolves, Grace got me a present and I wanna see it!”

“I gave you a present, he’s right there.” Steve pointed at CJ.

“No, _I_ gave _you_ that. I did all the hard work.”

“You want a push present? ‘Cos last I checked, you didn’t do a lot of pu-”

“Damn right I want a present.”

“How about I let you drive for a whole month?”

“My own car? My own car you’ll let me drive? Now when I’m not _allowed_ to drive for the next six weeks?” 

“Is that a no?”

“It’s a ‘ _you’ll be riding in the trunk for the rest of your life unless you come up with something better’._ ”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Don’t hurt yourself, now.”

In reality, Danny’s present had been in the works for months. From the moment they’d told Clara and Eddie that Danny was pregnant, Steve had been conspiring with his in-laws to get them out to Hawaii to meet their newest grandchild when he made his arrival. They’d opted to give the family a couple weeks to settle into their new normal a little bit, and then Eddie and Clara would be flying out for an extended visit. The pair had never had a real honeymoon – a weekend at Atlantic City did _not_ count according to Clara – so six weeks in Hawaii was just what they both needed. They could spend time with their family, get to know CJ and meet Danny’s new friends, but also have more than enough time to explore the islands and relax in the sunshine.

Tiring of staring at CJ, the little boy doing nothing more than converting oxygen into carbon dioxide like a champ, Grace climbed up onto the bed again, thankfully keeping her long limbs to herself around Danny’s increasingly sore abdomen. 

“He’s huge, Papa,” Grace intoned when she’d settled along his side, head resting on his shoulder.

“That’s your Papa’s fault. CJ inherited his big head.”

“Mine?! Looked in a mirror lately?”

“I made this for you.” Grace, derailed her father’s bickering, all too aware it could go on indefinitely if she let it, by proudly handing over the slightly crumpled paper and watching intently as her father looked over the drawing. 

It was on the beach at the house, Danny in his workwear complete with the tie he now only wore for court appearances but thankfully not looking like he’d swallowed a beach ball the way he had the last few months. At his side, laughably taller, was Steve, and between them, in her favourite red and white swimsuit stood Grace, the trio of crayon figures all holding hands under a blazing sun, surrounded by palm trees, the deep blue of the ocean at their backs.

She’d spent all of her breaks at practice working on it, wanting her dad to have the perfect gift.

“You did this?” He asked, glancing up at her with a big grin. “Not a professional?”

“Daddy, don’t be silly. It’s not quite finished. I thought I had more time.” Grace frowned over her brother and Danny had to withhold a chuckle. It wouldn’t be the last time Grace was frustrated at CJ and he was sure it wouldn’t always be so cute but right the look on his daughter’s face was downright adorable.

“I’m not sure you didn’t steal this from a museum, it’s so good.” He turned the paper around and proudly showed it off to her Papa. “Look at this, Steve. This is a masterpiece. Look at that. I mean, she's an artist, no?”

“It's beautiful,” Steve agreed, tweaking both of Grace’s pigtails and making her giggle at the compliment.

“It _is_ beautiful. Thank you, Monkey. I love it, and when he takes you home, your Papa is gonna make some space on the refrigerator, and this is gonna hang dead center.” 

“You’re not coming home with us?”

“Not today. The doctors are gonna keep an eye on me and your brother for a couple days, make sure my incision is healing, make sure your brother is eating and sleeping properly, and then we’ll all be home.”

“But you said you were okay!”

Danny had long ago vowed to be as honest with his daughter as her age and his job allowed. He knew she worried over him, a situation only worsened by how Rachel no doubt spoke about the dangers of his job to her, especially since he’d gotten involved with Five-O. Hiding things from her would only make it worse.

“And I am!” At his daughter’s disbelieving expression, Danny continued. “My head feels like it's gonna explode, but,” he hastened to add when worry clouded his daughter’s expression, “the doctor’s say that’s normal after the procedure I had, and isn’t anything to worry about. Okay, sweetheart? Totally normal and it’ll be okay in a few hours or so.”

Looking up, he caught sight of Steve, standing behind their daughter, his own expression pulled tight, brows furrowed. 

“Seriously, guys, I’m fine. It's, like, the worst hangover I ever had.”

Understanding smoothed out Steve’s face, but it was Grace’s turn to frown.

“What's a hangover?” 

In a moment of pure benevolence, Danny chose to disregard the snigger from Steve and the way his husband had to bite down on his lips to try and staunch the smile that threatened to spread across his cheeks.

“It's, uh, not something you have to worry about right now, sweetie. You'll figure it out, you'll learn about it one day when you're about, what, 35? 35, thirty...

“40 years old,” Steve intoned, only semi-seriously, but Danny agreed wholeheartedly with the number.

“Yeah, forty. Forty is good.”

“ _Daaannoo,”_ Grace whined, unsure what was happening but definitely feeling left out, and getting tired of the list of things she wasn’t allowed to do until she was forty becoming so long.

“ _Graaaacciiieeee!”_

Placing the drawing on the table by his bed for safe-keeping, Danny reached for his daughter again, making her laugh as he smacked kiss after kiss to all over her face until she laughed and squirmed away. CJ, demonstrating an enviable ability that would no doubt serve him well in the Williams-McGarrett household, slept on without a peep.

“Papa, save me!” Grace reached out towards Steve, red-faced and laughing.

“Save you?”

“Yeah!”

“Okay, okay.” Steve easily lifted Grace into his arms, swinging her up onto his hip in a way that Danny envied – he wouldn’t be picking up anything heavier than a glass of water for a while.

“Ooooh, noooo! I’m a monster too!” Holding his step-daughter tight, Steve treated her to another round of kisses, tickling her sides as he did so, drinking in Grace’s hysterical laughter as she playfully struggled and squirmed but didn’t ask to get away.

Danny had been worried that for all she was excited to become a big sister, for all they had prepared her and spoken with her, that Grace would become sullen or unhappy once her brother was born, envious of his attentions and needs. From the moment they’d decided to try for a child, he and Steve had spoken openly with Grace, reassuring her that having another child didn’t mean they loved her less, or that she wasn’t enough, or that Steve would love a biological child more than he loved her, but that for a little while she would have to be patient because a little brother or sister would require more of their attention because they would be unable to do anything themselves. She had appeared to take it all on board, only growing more excited the larger Danny got, but every book Steve insisted upon learning by heart still warned that that could change, that jealousy of the new baby could appear at any moment.

Watching his family, seeing Grace glow under Steve’s attention, the way her arms were wrapped tight around his neck hugging him to her even while she squirmed under his tickling fingers, the way she was retaliating with kisses of her own, nothing could have been further from the truth. Danny felt a peace and warmth flood his system.

A couple of years ago moving to Hawaii had seemed worse than a death sentence, the only reprieve his short times with Grace. But then Steve had happened. Steve and his bossy, rigid ways. Steve and his too-big heart and bottomless well of love and adoration for all in his ohana.

“You okay, babe?” Steve asked, Grace resting easily on one hip, face tucked into her Papa’s neck as she heaved in breath after breath now the tickling had stopped, tears of laughter drying on her cheeks.

“I’m great. I’m just great.”

ka’u keikikane – my son

ohana - family

LOOK AT THIS GOOF

LOOK AT HIM

[ ](https://ibb.co/drQj56C)

**Author's Note:**

> What happens when you're feeling blocked on the fic you SHOULD be writing? This apparently. Now i have this out of my system, it's back to the AU!


End file.
